DEEP TISSUE ISSUE!

[Max S]

I agree Julie...the person's awareness has a ton to do with it. I think too in our society a lot of Americans have been preached to in regards to the 'no pain, no gain' mentality and they bring that right into the treatment room, is that your experience as well?

Today I had a client come in for his second massage. Super nice guy and this is just his second massage. The first one was mostly Swedish because I never introduce someone to massage with deep work. I did do a little myofascial work lightly for him last time just so he could experience it.

Today, he comes in and he says he is ready to experience 'deep tissue' and he is on a mission to get all of these muscular issues taken care of. It was so interesting because I took huge time warming up the tissues and then started to work specifically and while emotionally he was ready for big changes in his mind, his body was not. There were a lot of bound fascial restrictions, and structural patterning that I am sure did not happen overnight. These are issues that are not just going to resolve in one session.

He is commited to multiple sessions which is good, but it was just another example of what a delicate balance I find it to work the tissue deeply enough without working so hard that it kicks me out due to physical issues going on in the tissue or somatic issues... all so interesting...

 

[Tan Boon Hwee k]

Deep Tissue ..

I agree Julie...the person's awareness has a ton to do with it. I think too in our society a lot of Americans have been preached to in regards to the 'no pain, no gain' mentality and they bring that right into the treatment room, is that your experience as well?

Today I had a client come in for his second massage. Super nice guy and this is just his second massage. The first one was mostly Swedish because I never introduce someone to massage with deep work. I did do a little myofascial work lightly for him last time just so he could experience it.

Today, he comes in and he says he is ready to experience 'deep tissue' and he is on a mission to get all of these muscular issues taken care of. It was so interesting because I took huge time warming up the tissues and then started to work specifically and while emotionally he was ready for big changes in his mind, his body was not. There were a lot of bound fascial restrictions, and structural patterning that I am sure did not happen overnight. These are issues that are not just going to resolve in one session.

He is commited to multiple sessions which is good, but it was just another example of what a delicate balance I find it to work the tissue deeply enough without working so hard that it kicks me out due to physical issues going on in the tissue or somatic issues... all so interesting...

Crystal-I was starting to worry that I was way off base with what I was taught in school, so I'm really glad to read your post.

I'm having the same issues, especially with males. Although they are in the contact sport field, they seem to have commonality with the stressed CEO's I work on- no pain, no gain.

I'm going to lower the table and get a less lubricating lotion & see how that goes. I'm super tiny & short gal, but I tested myself on a scale I can generate about 80-90lbs of pressure.

Brian- you mentioned martial arts- I've been looking into that also to help-which one do you do?

 

[raiders_fan479]

I am strong. I am not small. I can generate a LOT of pressure without unduly exerting myself. And I am male.

Because I am male, I get some people that come in expecting me to "beat them up." They want/expect pain during the work, and believe that's what they need in order to get better. While I could cater to this, ethically I feel it's a dishonest dead end. "No pain, no gain," is a bald-faced lie, both in athletic training and in therapy. The greatest improvements I have seen in both have involved very little discomfort.

As an MT, I feel part of my responsibility is to educate my clients about how their body actually works. This occasionally requires dispelling myths, rumors, and falsehoods... which can be done tactfully. "I don't have to hurt you in order to help you," is a good start.

Now and then I get someone who is emotionally unable to accept that bodywork can help even if they aren't screaming in pain. They move on, and hopefully find someone else that better meets their needs. The rest... tend to come back. Many are pleasantly surprised that my work doesn't hurt, that they feel siginificant relief, and that each session can be different rather than a set routine.

It's good to develop the ability to generate and maintain heavy pressure... it occasionally comes in handy with large-framed clients, and others feel easy by comparison. But don't feel it's a prerequisite to working on a deeper level.

All that aside... some of the most agonizing work I have done is AIS-related. Though it's quite gentle and powerfully effective, even the toughest folks weaken when you take them to the limits of their flexibility. :twisted: :

 

[Julianna K]

I am strong. I am not small. I can generate a LOT of pressure without unduly exerting myself. And I am male.

Because I am male, I get some people that come in expecting me to "beat them up." They want/expect pain during the work, and believe that's what they need in order to get better. While I could cater to this, ethically I feel it's a dishonest dead end. "No pain, no gain," is a bald-faced lie, both in athletic training and in therapy. The greatest improvements I have seen in both have involved very little discomfort.

As an MT, I feel part of my responsibility is to educate my clients about how their body actually works. This occasionally requires dispelling myths, rumors, and falsehoods... which can be done tactfully. "I don't have to hurt you in order to help you," is a good start.

Now and then I get someone who is emotionally unable to accept that bodywork can help even if they aren't screaming in pain. They move on, and hopefully find someone else that better meets their needs. The rest... tend to come back. Many are pleasantly surprised that my work doesn't hurt, that they feel siginificant relief, and that each session can be different rather than a set routine.

It's good to develop the ability to generate and maintain heavy pressure... it occasionally comes in handy with large-framed clients, and others feel easy by comparison. But don't feel it's a prerequisite to working on a deeper level.

All that aside... some of the most agonizing work I have done is AIS-related. Though it's quite gentle and powerfully effective, even the toughest folks weaken when you take them to the limits of their flexibility. :twisted: :

lol @ AIS! :twisted: I really must get that back into my toolbox again.

I agree with everything you've said, Jason. Thanks for posting. (Interesting how you have the opposite expectation that I get- "oh you're a tiny girl, are you sure you..")

I've only been out in the workforce for about 2 months, and I really feel it goes against my beliefs when I have employers push me to just roll over and give them a painful tx.

Besides the fact I'm a terrible liar, I just can't do it. I'm used to doing what I did in school clinic-getting clients to be back in touch with their bodies with touch and education, and using various techniques other than direct ones.

It's just as you say-those that it works with come back, and those that it doesn't go elsewhere- unfortunately the clinic doesn't seem to like it when clients don't come back. :undecided: (they are also usually the clients who attempt to compare me to the AT's teq)

Sigh. I can hardly wait until I get my own practice going.

 

[cbgreene9185]

I had a local therapist do some therapeutic work on me recently (my lower back was hurting) and they really know their anatomy; my eyes were opened in a way no other therapist has impressed me ... so far. They could easily pinpoint painful spots on my body and could relate this area to that area VERY effectively.

But then there was the "this is the easy part" and "this is the painful part." Their deep tissue portions of the treatment could be quite painful at times. I admit I came away from the session impressed overall (and I didn't hurt the next day or anything) ... but after thinking it over and reading this thread, I'm not sure if the painful parts of the treatment really needed to be painful.

Where does one, as a therapist, draw the line?

One of my three semesters of school was DT and we too were taught to warm up the tissue before going deeper, and to be sensitive to the client's tolerance. We weren't to cause the client to contract muscles in pain by using pressure that was too deep, too soon. Conversely, in my recent treatment I was cringing on the table, holding my breath and trying not to cry out at times. The therapist had me laughing through much of the "challenging" portions of the massage, and I really did feel better when I got off the table. No bruises or anything, the deep work was simply really deep on my trouble spots. But would I ever have the gumption to do that to any of my clients? I'm doubtful...

I just don't know what to think. When is painful treatment okay? Ever?